Typically, the body of a glenoid component is not very thick, the two opposite primary faces of said body respectively being adapted to cooperate in a ball-and-socket manner with a humeral head, either natural or prosthetic, and to be pressed against the socket of a shoulder blade so as to be immobilized there. To that end, the first aforementioned face includes a joint surface, generally spherical, while the second face includes a bearing surface, which is also spherical or planar, in the central region of which often at least one bone anchoring element protrudes in the socket, such as a keel or pins. Such glenoid components may be provided in different sizes, but the glenoid components of different sizes often have identical bearing surfaces.
Thus, depending in particular on the patient's morphology, the surgeon has the option of choosing the glenoid component of which the size seems best suited to the patient. As a result, the articular performance of the patient's prosthetic shoulder is quite often satisfactory. At the same time, it has, however, been observed that, during use of glenoid components which did not best suit the patient, the implanted glenoid component tends gradually to come unsealed from the socket, through wear or mechanical alteration of the interface between the body and the socket.